Taverna Mercatto — Restaurant in Toronto

Well not sure where to start.

We had booked this restaurant for a private company event following the Blue Jay game. Not knowing an end time for game we booked it 4 hours after game start knowing a game is usually a hours long.

Well the game went 2.5 hours. We stayed as long as we could in box and traveled to restaurant hoping they would take us.

We arrived 6pm an hour before and were told room not ready and that they had no ability to host us in bar area or anywhere.

We then looked for alternatives all of which were willing to take us assuming we ordered food, which we couldn't as we had pre paid for a private room and dining at Mercato.

So we walked around only to come back to restaurant at 630pm. At this point we asked our room would be getting set up given the size of our party of 16 and given we had all items pre selected and where to be on table.

After a 10 minute discussion we were told no 7:pm only... Not before.

So again we waited until 6 50pm. At this point I went into the restaurant to use bathroom and took the opportunity to see the private room only to find out the room was fully booked with three active tables still eating 10 minutes before we as a group of 16 were supposed to be in room all from out of province or country.

I then went to hostess again and shared that this is not acceptable. They were 30 minutes away from leaving and then room required full clean up.

Bottom line with size of group we had no choice but to wait.

So 715pm we got into room after waiting 1 hour 45 minutes and of course nothing set up, prepared etc. So we are another 30 minutes prepping and getting first drinks.

1st course is served at 8pm with final course of 3 being served a full 90 minutes later.

In end the food was well below higher standard restaurants but if service had been accommodating and/ or supportive we would have had no issues.

I will NOT ever recommend this restaurant to anyone heading to this area and especially those looking to host a large group.

Go elsewhere as lots of options in area that want...

My friend and I stumbled upon this restaurant after a long day at the car show hosted by Metro Convention Centre. It was cold, we were hungry, and this restaurant appeared to solve our problems. From the moment we walked in, we were well taken care of. The food? Familiar yet refreshingly unique, the restaurant offered a personal twist on classic dishes that left us pleasantly surprised.

We enjoyed the experience so much that we decided to return the following year, hoping to make it our post car show tradition. The same spot was available, and the waitress even let us sit there again, a small gesture that meant a lot.

However the second visit did take an unexpected turn.

While ordering, we politely declined the drinks menu and that's when things shifted. The warm service suddenly turned cold. The waitress who had been friendly just moments before, now seemed irritated, as if our presence had become inconvenient for her.

Things escalated when we asked for a simple dessert modification due to an allergy. Rather than a calm explanation, we got a sharp "absolutely not," which felt unnecessarily harsh and dismissive, it even caught the attention of people nearby. I should've asked for the bill right then and there but we just ordered something else.

I rarely leave negative feedback, but this experience was jarring. The contrast in service between our first and second visits was like day and night. It's unfortunate because the food and ambience still hold promise but the service can truly make or break a meal. This time, it broke it. Would I return? Hard to say. The tradition was nice...

Walked in here on whim as this was close to my Airbnb. It was a weekday and so there was plenty of seating. Vibe and decor was a play on barrels. Lots of woodsy accents to crate a warm ambiance.

The food was also unexpectedly delicious. Tasted like everything was made with very fresh ingredients and cooked to perfection. We ordered 3 dishes and all were incredible. My personal favourite was Orchiette Pugliese. It tasted like a summer pasta- light and fresh. The ingredients you could tell were of quality and you could taste each ingredient come together for the perfect blend of fresh flavours that were not competing for attention. The rapini and pine nut pesto with the peperoncini was chefs kiss It was not the dish I ordered, but I went back the next day and ordered it for lunch.

We also ordered the Chitarra Alla Carbonara. I went through a carbonara phase but have completely stopped ordering it because it’s usually heavy and the flavour if not done right can be overwhelming and salty.. but this was probably one of the best Carbonara’s I’ve tasted in a while.

The third dish ordered was the Tortiglioni alla Bolognese. Our server Chanelle recommended this one and mentioned the veal and pork ragu is not gamey so I decided to give it a try. Again- such fresh flavours. The pasta in the dish brought a bit of sweetness while the veal and pork ragu brought the spice topped with fresh basil. It was the perfect marriage of the subtly sweet pasta and spiced meat.

I would definitely recommend this restaurant if you are in the mood...